Schools placed on temporary lockdown after report of robbery

February 20, 2013

SHENANDOAH JUNCTION - Five Jefferson County schools were placed on modified lockdown Wednesday after school officials received notification of a possible robbery at the Shenandoah Junction post office, Superintendent Susan Wall said.

Wildwood Middle School, Jefferson High School, T.A. Lowery Elementary, Driswood Elementary and North Jefferson Elementary were on lockdown between approximately 11:45 a.m. and 1 p.m., as advised by the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department due to the robbery's proximity, Wall said.

The lockdown was only precautionary and none of the five schools was involved in the actual event, Wall said.

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The lockdown was lifted after the district received the all-clear from authorities, she said.

Sgt. R.S. Sell of the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department said later Wednesday afternoon that police received a 911 call reporting a robbery in progress in a parking lot in Shenandoah Junction.

"That turned out to be false," Sell said.

He said schools were notified as precautionary measure while police attempted to figure out what was going on. Sell said the individual involved in the unfounded call declined to press charges. Sell described the alleged incident as "drug deal gone bad" and said there was never any threat of a gunman in the area of Shenandoah Junction.